4th Annual New Directors Showcase
On May 25, SHOOT unveiled its fourth annual New Directors Showcase reel. The 25 helmers–including three two-person teams–selected for the Showcase come from diverse backgrounds. However, the bond they share is great style, vision and commitment–whether it be reflected in comedy, visuals or storytelling. Helping fashion the Showcase lineup were entries from SHOOT‘s ongoing “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery, assorted submissions, and feedback from agency creatives and producers. Here’s a look at this year’s field:
Jeff Tremaine
Saville Productions
Bubblicious’ “Flying Bubble”
How did you get into directing?
I was working for Big Brother skateboarding magazine and Johnny Knoxville and myself started directing videos for the magazine. We then thought a TV series featuring silly stunts would be a great idea and together with Spike Jonze decided to approach MTV with the concept. They loved it and off we went.
Why do you want to direct commercials?
There’s a lot of scope for creative freedom and they are fun to make. What could be a better way to spend your time?
What is your most recent spot project?
Bubblicious for the Japanese market. They love the crazy stunts over there. It was a blast to shoot.
Do you have plans to work in other areas–e.g., shorts, films, features or TV? Have you ever done any of that in the past?
I’m just finishing the second Jackass movie. We are shooting in India at present and it’s going to be more outrageous than the first.
What do you think is the best part about being a director?
The creative process.
What’s the worst part?
There’s no worst part. I love collaborating and working things out.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More